Halifax Regional Municipality releases Citizen Survey results

Monday, June 22, 2015 (Halifax, NS) – Results of the most recent Citizen Survey, a bi-annual survey undertaken to gather feedback from residents, measure performance and help guide strategic policy and planning decisions, was presented to the Executive Standing Committee of Council this morning.

Survey questions focused on residents’ opinions on value for taxes, leadership and governance, municipal service satisfaction, and their ‘top of mind’ issues.

Survey result highlights include:

Two-thirds of respondents feel that they receive very good or good municipal program and service value for property taxes paid.

Fifty-nine per cent of respondents either completely agree or agree that the municipality is moving in the right direction to ensure a high quality of life for future generations.

Residents identified transportation/traffic, taxes and employment as the top three issues facing the Halifax region over the next five years.

“This survey provides valuable insights, directly from citizens, that we can use to make better informed decisions,” said Mayor Savage. “Council is committed to finding new and more effective ways to inform and engage citizens in the municipal decision making process.“

Residents gave the highest service satisfaction ratings to public libraries, policing services, and arts and cultural programs and facilities. The vast majority of citizens also rated city maintenance services highly, including parks and green spaces, beaches and waterfront areas, and recreation facilities.

“The unique challenge and opportunity of delivering municipal programs and services is that they are highly visible and tangible within our communities,” said CAO Richard Butts. “We will continue to build upon our strengths and to tackle the areas that need improvement by better aligning resources to outcomes.”

This was the eighth Citizen Survey undertaken by the municipality since amalgamation in 1996. MQO Research was contracted by the municipality to conduct the official survey over a five-week period in November and December 2014. The survey invitation was mailed to approximately 12,000 randomly selected households from across the region, from which there were 592 respondents.

For the first time, the municipality also hosted an online version of the survey at Halifax.ca that was open to all residents, to which there were 1,086 respondents. The results from both surveys are used for comparison purposes, and to add a deeper understanding of the perception of residents of municipal service delivery.

The municipality thanks residents for taking the time to complete the Citizen Survey; it is an important tool for gathering resident feedback and opinion that will inform policy and decision-making.